Samsung refreshes Omnia handsets

Several blogs early Monday spilled the details of a refresh to Samsung's line of Omnia handsets. The electronics maker hoped to make a splash at this week's CommunicAsia 2009, which runs from June 16-19 in Singapore, with two Omnia Pro devices: the B7610 and B7320. Samsung is also showing off its previously announced Pixon 12 and the Android-powered I7500.

Samsung has yet to make an official announcement in English, but after the information leak the company published a news item on its Korean Website. While we still can't confirm with absolute certainty the news from Samsung, we can say that according to a horrible automated translation the specs below are either fairly accurate or Samsung believes its new phones are a great tool in a "time of war."

All we know about the Omnia Pro B7320 is that it's a candy bar-style phone with a keyboard. There is some speculation, however, the B7320 could just be a Samsung device already available on AT&T, according to Engadget.

The Pixon 12 is an upgrade to the previously announced Pixon camera. The refreshed device has a 12-megapixel camera, up from the Pixon's 8-megapixel clicker, but the screen has a slight downgrade to a 3.1-inch touch screen from the Pixon's 3.2-inch display. Other specs include GPS, Wi-Fi, 720-by-480-pixel video capability, LED flash and 28mm wide-angle lens.

The Android-powered I7500 has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory and a micro SD card slot (up to 32GB). The I7500 comes packed with the usual Google services and is just under one-half-inch thick. Although it's difficult to confirm based on the automated translation of Samsung's Korean Website, Samsung may have officially adopted the name 'Galaxy' for the I7500. This is not entirely surprising since the French carrier Bouygues Telecom plans to sell the I7500 as the Galaxy in July, according to PC World France.

There's no word official word on Australian pricing or availability for any of the four phones. The Omnia Pro B7610 is expected to hit the market in August 2009, but that is only speculation at this point.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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